Weekly Shōnen Jump 1981 No.40

1 Kyattsu Ai · キャッツ アイ

Cat's Eye

Ch. 1

2 Dokutā Suranpu · ドクタースランプ Dr. Slump debuted in Weekly Shōnen Jump issue 581 on January 5, 1980. Created by Akira Toriyama, the series follows eccentric inventor Senbei Norimaki and his robot creation Arale, a little girl with superhuman strength and no common sense. The manga was a massive hit and won the Shōgakukan Manga Award, launching Toriyama's career before Dragon Ball.

Dr. Slump

Ch. 86

3

Aozora Fishing

Ch. 7

4 Ring ni Kakero debuted in Weekly Shōnen Jump issue 414 on December 14, 1976. Created by Masami Kurumada (later known for Saint Seiya), this boxing manga follows siblings Ryūji and Kiku as they pursue glory in the ring. It was an early hit for Kurumada and helped establish the over-the-top fighting style that would define his later works.

Ring ni Kakero

Ch. 238

5

Geki! Gokutora Ikka

Ch. 56

6

Gal ga Rival

Ch. 8

7

Kaidō Racer GO

Ch. 10

8

Sannen Kimengumi

Ch. 50

9

Bun no Ao Shun!

Ch. 48

10 Kinnikuman debuted in Weekly Shōnen Jump issue 544 on May 1, 1979. Created by the duo Yudetamago, the series follows Suguru Kinniku, a bumbling superhero who becomes a wrestling champion. Known for its wild characters and parody humor, Kinnikuman was enormously popular in the 1980s and spawned numerous sequels.

Kinnikuman

Ch. 119

11 Kyaputen Tsubasa · キャプテン翼 Captain Tsubasa debuted in Weekly Shōnen Jump issue 648 on March 31, 1981. Created by Yoichi Takahashi, the series follows Tsubasa Ozora, a boy whose dream is to win the FIFA World Cup. Captain Tsubasa is credited with inspiring a generation of professional footballers worldwide, including many current and former stars.

Captain Tsubasa

Ch. 23

12 KochiKame debuted in Weekly Shōnen Jump issue 387 on June 22, 1976. Created by Osamu Akimoto, this comedy series about a bumbling police officer ran for an extraordinary 40 years without interruption, amassing 200 volumes and 1,960 chapters — making it one of the longest-running manga series ever.

Kochikame

Ch. 250

13

Tennis Boy

Ch. 110

14

Forever Kamiko-kun

Ch. 24

15

Shaka no Musuko

Ch. 9

16

Super Police

Ch. 11